Bharat Misra, M.D., Jeffrey Hoffman, M.D., Ph.D., Renard Rawls, M.D., Akin Cabi, M.D.
convincing someone to have a screening colonoscopy. Dr. Cabi’s father passed away from colon cancer while Dr. Cabi was still in medical school. “My dad had received the flexible sigmoidoscopy test, which was a standard test at the time,” recalls Dr. Cabi. “I urged him to have the colonoscopy but by then it was too late,” he says. He shares his story with his patients to illustrate to them that early detection is the key to curing colon cancer. The truth is that even though screening colonoscopy can dramatically reduce the incidence of colon cancer, patients still associate a stigma with having one done, or even talking about it. Actively sharing stories and experiences, especially when cancer has been diagnosed without symptoms, can help break down that stigma and pave the way to timely screenings. Often it is the patients who have been diagnosed with colon cancer or polyps after having their routine screening that aid in the process by sharing their personal stories and encouraging or insisting that their friends and family go for their screenings. “When patients tell their stories they become advocates for screening,” says Dr. Cabi. Celebrities have also helped pave the advocacy way – most notably Katie Couric helped drive the fear of colonoscopy down by having the procedure
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